Friday, February 6, 2009

Featured Athlete: Graciano Brito

As a Junior in 2007:Named to the NSCAA/adidas All-America Second Team...Featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" section...Selected to NSCAA/adidas North Atlantic Region First Team...Named Northeast Conference Player of the Year, the first Quinnipiac men's soccer player to earn the award since Everson Maciel in 2001...Named the Quinnipiac University Male Athlete of the Year...Three-time Brine/NEC Player of the Week...Named to College Soccer News National Team of the Week...Finished second in the NEC in goals (12) and points (27)...His 12 goals were the third-highest season total in Quinnipiac Division I history...Recorded a pair of hat tricks in against Army and Canisius, earning him the September Eli’s Restaurant/Quinnipiac Athlete of the Month...Saw action in 16 games, starting in 15 of those games...Led the team in goals (12) and points (27) during his junior campaign...Finished the season with four game-winning goals...Ended the season eighth in the nation in points per game (1.69)...Also finished eighth in the nation in goals per game average (0.75)...Finished second in the NEC in goals, points and points per game.

As a Sophomore in 2006:Named co-captain of the 2007 team by coach Eric Da Costa...Appeared in and started all 15 games...Led the team with four goals and 10 points...Scored first goal of the year in double-overtime tie with the University of Hartford...Scored game-winning goal in 1-0 victory versus Sacred Heart.

As a Freshman in 2005:Appeared in 18 games and made 17...named the NEC Rookie of the Week on Sept. 26...finished second on the team with six goals, four assists, and 16 points...ranked tenth in the NEC in both goals and assists... was tenth in the conference in both points (16) and points per game (.89)...ranked eighth in the NEC in both shots (47) and shots per game (2.61)...scored the game winning goal against Manhattan College on Sept. 24...recorded a goal and an assist for three points in the win against Columbia...recorded his fifth goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Central Connecticut on Oct 9.

Personal:The son of Candida and Tomas Brito, has a younger brother Mikelvin and a younger sister Ivandra...His family resides in Sao Nicolau, Cape Verde...He is an international business major. QuinnipiacBobcats.com